Pain that erupts from one’s shoulder blades can be quite a nuisance. Find out how to stretch shoulder blade muscles to ease the tension off them, with simple to mimic exercises…
The first area of your body that gives in to stress and strain is your shoulders – this area is put under pressure because the muscles and nerves connect to your back, which send off signals to your shoulders to tense up when not given enough movement. The shoulder blade area is the topmost part of your shoulders that connects the entire area that runs along the upper back portion, that gives us enough control over its muscles as we shift. While sitting at work or when attending class, it can be hours before you actually shift positions in your seat. It has to be comfortable and above all high enough to support your back and hold it straight. Slouching is a position one shouldn’t make a habit of positioning the body, where you have to balance your back in an upright position before this pose becomes a permanent part of your gait.
Always have someone remind you to sit up straight, and not slouch because this can be bad for your back especially for those who are tall where they automatically tend to bend over slightly creating a hunch as they walk or sit. Your shoulder blades are a sensitive area, and remaining stiff will do nothing to ease up on the pain and strain.
Shoulder Blade Muscle Stretches
These exercises on how to stretch shoulder blade muscles, can be used as exercises for shoulder pain should the sensation creep in while working relentlessly and forgetting to stretch and walk around away from your desk. Let’s take a look at which exercises would help ease off the tension and pain in your shoulder blade muscles.
| Name of Exercise | How to Perform This |
| Hands Above Head | Hold your arms at a 90° angle bent against the sides of your head, where your elbows are straight up against it and one arm overlaps the other in a square like position. Each palm should be placed above the opposite elbow, while you slowly stretch backwards and tighten the muscles along your shoulder blades as you push your upper back in an inward fashion, while pushing your chest out. Hold this pose for five seconds and then release your arms and hold it down while you rest for 10 seconds, before repeating it another two times. |
| Overhead Stretch | An overhead stretch is where you place your arms on either side of your shoulder, as if you were holding a dumbbell in each arm while readying yourself to lift it upwards. Ball your hands into fists and move your hands above you in an outward ‘V’ pose, bring your chest forward, while simultaneously tightening your shoulder blade muscles. Hold this pose and release it after 5 seconds. Repeat three times after resting for 10 seconds. |
| Shoulder Rolls | This is an easy to work out exercise and can be done either while standing or sitting. Hold your arms down your sides and inhale deeply, releasing air and then pushing your shoulders up in a shrug like action, and holding it there while you rotate your shoulders backwards, in five slow continuous moves. As your shoulders rise, inhale and when you make a move to rotate them backwards, exhale. |
| Sideways Punch | Like the overhead stretch exercise, hold your arms in a similar pose and then tilt your upper body while being seated, to one side and then raise the opposite arm in an outward punch that is gentle yet firm. Squeeze your shoulder muscles before you give out the punch. Do this for the other side as well, repeating this move thrice. |
You need to understand how important it is to stretch throughout the day at different intervals to keep your muscles in constant motion. Do not remain stationary and stiff in your seat, since that can lead to a lot of problems when it comes to being flexible and agile. Take a walk for a few minutes around the office or make it a habit to shift your weight around or your position while being seated. Even when exercising use moves to strengthen your shoulder muscles so that it becomes accustomed to sitting all day. Even when you wake up, work out on these exercises since you’ve been rigid all night and now need to stretch before starting your day. Five minutes of stretching when you awake is important to avoid muscle pulls and strains.
